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the  ah******** 

CONFESSIONS 
P     //    f  ^         .  J  2* 

NAT    TURNER 


THE  LEADER  OF  THE  LATE 

INSURRECTION  IN  SOUTHAMPTON,  VA. 

As  fully  and  voluntarily  made  to 

THOMAS  R.   GRAY, 

In  the  prison  where  he  was  confined,  and  acknowledged  by 
him  to  be  such  when  read  before  the  Court  of  South- 
ampton;  with  the  certificate,  under  seal  of 
the  Court  convened  at  .Jerusalem, 
Nov.  5,  1381,  for  his  trial. 

ALSO,  AN  AUTHENTIC 

lCCOUNT  of  the  whole  insurrection, 

WITH  LISTS  OF  THE  WHITES  WHO  WERE  MURDERED, 

[AND  OF  THE  NEGROES  BROUGHT  BEFORE  THE   COURT  OF 
SOUTHAMPTON,  AND  THERE  SENTENCED,  &c. 


itoltfmort: 

PUBLISHED  BY  THOMAS  R.  GRAY. 

Lucas  <$•  Deaver,  print. 
.      1831. 

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DISTRICT  OF  COLUMBIA,  TO  WIT: 

Be  it  remembered,  That  on  this  tenth  day  of  November,  Anno  Domin 
eighteen  hundred  and  thirty-one,  Thomas  R.  Gray  of  the  said  Distric 
deposited  in  this  office  the  title  of  a  book,  which  is  in  the  words  as  fo 
lowing : 

"The  Confessions  of  Nat  Turner,  the  leader  of  the  late  insurrectic 
in  Southampton,  Virginia,  as  fully  and  voluntarily  made  to  Thomas  1 
Gray,  in  the  prison  where  he  was  confined,  and  acknowledged  by  hi 
to  be  such  when  read  before  the  Court  of  Southampton;  with  the  ce 
tificate,  under  seal,  of  the  Court  convened  at  Jerusalem,  November 
1831,  for  his  trial.  Also,  an  authentic  account  of  the  whole  insurr© 
tion,  with  lists  of  the  whites  who  were  murdered,  and  of  the  negro 
brought  before  the  Court  of  Southampton,  and  there  sentence*!,  &c.  tl 
right  whereof  he  claims  as  proprietor,  in  conlormity  with  an  Act 
Congress,  entitled  "An  act  to  amend  the  several  acts  respecting  Co] 
Rights." 

EDMUND  J.  LEE,  Clerk  of  the  District. 
In  testimony  that  the  above  is  a  true  cop 
from  the  record  of  the  District  Court  f 
(Seal.)  the  District  of  Columbia,  I,  Edmund 

Lee,  the  Clerk  thereof,  have  hereuc 
set  my  hand  and  affixed  the  seal  of  n 
office,  this  10th  day  of  November,  183 

Edmund  J.  Lee,  C.  D.  C. 


TO  THE  PUBLIC 


The  late  insurrection  in  Southampton  has  greatly  excited  the 
public  mind,  and  led  to  a  thousand  idle,  exaggerated  and 
mischievous  reports.  Jt  is  the  first  instance  in  our  history  of 
an  open  rebellion  of  the  slaves,  and  attended  with  such  atro- 
cious circumstances  of  cruelty  and  destruction,  as  could  not 
fail  to  leave  a  deep  impression,  not  only  upon  the  minds  of 
the  community  where  this  fearful  tragedy  was  wrought,  but 
throughout  every  portion  of  our  country,  in  which  this  popu- 
lation is  to  be  found.  Public  curiosity  has  been  on  the  stretch 
to  understand  the  origin  and  progress  of  this  dreadful  con- 
spiracy, and  the  motives  which  influences  its  diabolical  actors. 
The  insurgent  slaves  had  all  been  destroyed,  or  apprehended, 
tried  and  executed,  (with  the  exception  of  the  leader,)  with- 
out revealing  any  thing  at  all  satisfactory,  as  to  the  motives 
which  governed  them,  or  the  means  by  which  they  expected 
to  accomplish  their  object.  Every  thing  connected  with  this 
|sad  affair  was  wrapt  in  mystery,  until  Nat  Turner,  the  leader 
|of  this  ferocious  band,  whose  name  has  resounded  through- 
lout  our  widely  extended  empire,  was  captured.  This  "great 
Bandit "  was  taken  by  a  single  individual,  in  a  cave  near  the 
residence  of  his  late  owner,  on  Sunday,  the  thirtieth  of  Octo- 
ber, without  attempting  to  make  the  slightest  resistance,  and 
on  the  following  day  safely  lodged  in  the  jail  of  the  County. 
His  captor  was  Benjamin  Phipps,  armed  with  a  shot  gun  well 
charged.  Nat's  only  weapon  was  a  small  light  sword  which 
he  immediately  surrendered,  and  begged  that  his  life  might 
i  be  spaTed.  Since  his  confinement,  by  permission  of  the  Jail- 
or, I  have  had  ready  access  to  him,  and  finding  that  he  was 
willing  to  make  a  full  and  free  confession  of  the  origin,  pro- 
gress aad  consummation  of  the  insurrectory  movements  of 
fthe  slaves  of  which  he  was  the  contriver  and  head;  I  deter- 
mined for  the  gratification  of  public  curiosity  to  commit  his 


4  6-/ 


statements  to  writing,  and  publish  them,  with  little  or  no  vari- 
ation, from  his  own  words.  That  this  is  a  faithful  record  of 
his  confessions,  the  annexed  certificate  of  the  County  Court 
of  Southampton,  will  attest.  They  certainly  bear  one  stamp 
of  truth  and  sincerity.  He  makes  no  attempt  (as  all  the 
other  insurgents  who  were  examined  did,)  to  exculpate  him- 
self, but  frankly  acknowledges  his  full  participation  in  all  the 
guilt  of  the  transaction.  He  was  not  only  the  contriver  of 
the  conspiracy,  but  gave  the  first  blow  towards  its  execution. 
It  will  thus  appear,  that  whilst  every  thing  upon  the  surface 
of  society  wore  a  calm  and  peaceful  aspect;  whilst  not  one  note 
of  preparation  was  heard  to  warn  the  devoted  inhabitants  of 
woe  and  death,  a  gloomy  fanatic  was  revolving  in  the  reces- 
ses of  his  own  dark,  bewildered,  and  overwrought  mind, 
schemes  of  indiscriminate  massacre  to  the  whites.  Schemes 
too  fearfully  executed  as  far  as  his  fiendish  band  proceeded 
in  their  desolating  march.  No  cry  for  mercy  penetrated 
their  flinty  bosoms.  No  acts  of  remembered  kindness 
made  the  least  impression  upon  these  remorseless  murderers. 
Men,  women  and  children,  from  hoary  age  to  helpless  infancy 
were  involved  in  the  same  cruel  fate.  Never  did  a  band  of 
savages  do  their  work  of  death  more  unsparingly.  Appre- 
hension for  their  own  personal  safety  seems  to  have  been  the 
only  principle  of  restraint  in  the  whole  course  of  their  bloody 
proceedings.  And  it  is  not  the  least  remarkable  feature  in 
this  horrid  transaction,  that  a  band  actuated  by  such  hellish 
purposes,  should  have  resisted  so  feebly,  when  met  by  the 
whites  in  arms.  Desperation  alone,  one  would  think,  might 
have  led  to  greater  efforts.  More  than  twenty  of  them  at- 
tacked Dr.  Blunt's  house  on  Tuesday  morning,  a  little  be- 
fore day-break,  defended  by  two  men  and  three  boys.  They 
fled  precipitately  at  the  first  fire;  and  their  future  plans  of 
mischief,  were  entirely  disconcerted  and  broken  up.  Es- 
caping thence,  each  individual  sought  his  own  safety  either 
in  concealment,  or  by  returning  home,  with  the  hope  that  his 
participation  might  escape  detection,  and  all  were  shot 
down  in  the  course  of  a  few  days,  or  captured  and  brought  to 
trial  and  punishment.  Nat  has  survived  all  his  followers, 
and  the  gallows  will  speedily  close  his  career.  His  own  ac- 
count of  the  conspiracy  is  submitted  to  the  public,  without 
comment.  It.  reads  an  awful,  and  it  is  hoped,  a  useful  lesson, 
as  to  the  operations  of  a  mind  like  his,  endeavoring  to  grap- 
ple with  things  beyond  its  reach.  Howr  it  first  became  be- 
wildered and  confounded,  and  finally  corrupted  and  led  to 


5 

the  conception  and  perpetration  of  the  most  atrocious  and 
heart-rending  deeds.  It  is  calculated  also  to  demonstrate  the 
policy  of  our  laws  in  restraint  of  this  class  of  our  population, 
and  to  induce  all  those  entrusted  with  their  execution,  as 
well  as  our  citizens  generally,  to  see  that  they  are  strictly  and 
rigidly  enforced.  Each  particular  community  should  look  to 
its  own  safety,  whilst  the  general  guardians  of  the  laws,  keep 
a  watchful  eye  over  all.  If  Nat's  statements  can  be  relied 
on,  the  insurrection  in  this  county  was  entirely  local,  and  his 
designs  confided  but  to  a  few,  and  these  in  his  immediate  vi- 
cinity. It  was  not  instigated  by  motives  of  revenge  or  sud- 
den anger,  but  the  results  of  long  deliberation,  and  a  settled 
purpose  of  mind.  The  offspring  of  gloomy  fanaticism,  act- 
ing upon  materials  but  too  well  prepared  for  such  impressions. 
It  will  be  long  remembered  in  the  annals  of  our  country,  and 
many  a  mother  as  she  presses  her  infant  darling  to  her  bosom, 
will  shudder  at  the  recollection  of  Nat  Turner,  and  his  band 
of  ferocious  miscreants. 

Believing  the  following  narrative,  by  removing  doubts  and 
conjectures  from  the  public  mind  which  otherwise  must  have 
remained,  would  give  general  satisfaction,  it  is  respectfully 
submitted  to  the  public  by  their  ob't  serv't, 

T.  R.  GRAY. 

Jerusalem,  Southampton,  Va.  Nov.  5,  1831. 

We  the  undersigned,  members  of  the  Court  convened  at  Jerusalem,on 
Saturday,  the  5th  day  of  Nov. 1831,  for  the  trial  of  ^  at, alias  Nat  Turner, 
a  negro  slave,  late  the  property  of  Putnam  Moore,  deceased,  do  hereby 
certify,  that  the  confessions  of  Nat,  to  Thomas  R.  Gray,  was  read  to  him 
in  our  presence,  and  that  Nat  acknowledged  the  same  to  be  full,  free, 
and  voluntary;  and  that  furthermore,  when  called  upon  by  the  presid- 
ing Magistrate  of  the  Court,  to  state  if  he  had  any  thing  to  say,  why 
sentence  of  death  should  not  be  passed  upon  him,  replied  he  had 
nothing  further  than  he  had  communicated  to  Mr.  Gray.  Given  under 
|  ©ur  hands  and  seals  at  Jerusalem,  this  5th  day  of  November,  1831. 
1  JEREMIAH  COBB,  [Seal] 

i  THOMAS  PRETLOVV,  [Seal.] 

JAMES  W.  PARKER,  [Seal] 

CARR  BOWERS,  [Seal.] 

SAMUEL  B.  HINES,  [Seal] 

!  ORRIS  A.  BROWNE,  [Seal] 

(l 
•  State  of  Virginia,  Southampton  County,  to  wit: 

I,  James  Rochelle,  Clerk  of  the  County  Court  of  Southampton  in  the 
iii  State  of  Virginia,  do  hereby  certify,  that  Jeremiah  Cobb,  Thomas  Pret- 
|  low,  James  IV.  Parker,  Carr  Bowers,  Samuel  B.  Hines,  and  Orris  A. 
j   Browne,  esq/'a  are  acting  Justices  of  the  Peace,  in  and  for  the  County 


aforesaid,  and  were  members  of  the  Court  which  convened  at  Jerusa- 
lem, on  Saturday  the  5th  day  of  November,  1631,  for  the  trial  of  Nat 
alias  Nat  Turner,  a  negro  slave,  late  the  property  of  Putnam  Moore, 
deceased,  who  was  tried  and  convicted,  as  an  insurgent  in  the  late  in- 
surrection in  the  county  of  Southampton  aforesaid,  and  that  full  faith 
and  credit  are  due,  and  ought  to  be  given  to  their  acts  as  Justices  of 
the  peace  aforesaid. 

In  testimony  whereof.  I  have  hereunto  set  my 
hand  and   caused   the  seal   of  the   Court 
[Seal.]  aforesaid,  to   be  affixed    this   5th  day  of 

November,  1831. 

James  Rochelle,  G.  S.  C.  C. 


CONFESSION. 


Agreeable  to  his  own  appointment,  on  the  evening  he  was 
committed  to  prison,  with  permission  of  the  jailer,  I  visited 
NAT  on  Tuesday  the  1st  November,  when,  without  being 
questioned  at  all,  he  commenced  his  narrative  in  the  follow- 
ing words : — 

Sir, — You  have  asked  me  to  give  a  history  of  the  motives 
which  induced  me  to  undertake  the  late  insurrection,  as  you 
call  it — To  do  so  I  must  go  back  to  the  days  of  my  infancy, 
and  even  before  I  was  born.  1  wai  thirty-one  years  of  age 
the  2d  of  October  last,  and  born  the  property  of  Benj.  Tur- 
ner, of  this  county.  In  my  childhood  a  circumstance  occur- 
red which  made  an  indelible  impression  on  my  mind,  and 
laid  the  ground  work  of  that  enthusiasm,  which  has  termina- 
ted so  fatally  to  many,  both  white  and  black,  and  for  which  I 
am  about  to  atone  at  the  gallows.  It  is  here  necessary  to  re- 
late this  circumstance — trifling  as  it  may  seem,  it  w7as  the 
commencement  of  that  belief  which  has  grown  with  time, 
and  even  now,  sir,  in  this  dungeon,  helpless  and  forsaken 
as  I  am,  I  cannot  divest  myself  of.  Being  at  play  with 
other  children,  when  three  or  four  years  old,  I  was  telling 
them  something,  which  my  mother  overhearing,  said  it  had 
happened  before  1  was  born — I  stuck  to  my  story,  however, 
and  related  somethings  which  went,  in  her  opinion,  to  confirm 
it — others  being  called  on  were  greatly  astonished,  knowing 
that  these  things  had  happened,  and  caused  them  to  say  in 
my  hearing,  I  surely  would  be  a  prophet,  as  the  Lord  had 
shewn  me  things  that  had  happened  before  my  birth.  And 
my  father  and  mother  strengthened  me  in  this  my  first  impres- 
sion, saying  in  my  presence,  1  was  intended  for  some  great 
purpose,  which  they  had  always  thought  from  certain  marks 
on  my  head  and  breast — [a  parcel  of  excrescences  which  I  be- 
lieve are  not  at  all  uncommon,  particularly  among  negroes,  as 
1  have  seen  several  with  the  same.  In  this  case  he  has  either 
cut  them  off  or  they  have  nearly  disappeared] — My  grand 
mother,  who  was  very  religious,  and  to  wliom  I  was  much  at- 


8 

tached — iriy  master,  who  belonged  to  the  church,  and  other 
religious  persons  who  visited  the  house,  and  whom  I  often 
saw  at  prayers,  noticing  the  singularity  of  my  manners,  3  sup- 
pose, and  my  uncommon  intelligence  for  a  child,  remarked  1 
had  too  much  sense  to  be  raised,  and  if  1  was,  I  would  never 
be  of  any  service  to  any  one  as  a  slave — To  a  mind  like  mine, 
restless,  inquisitive  and  observant  of  every  thing  that  was 
passing,  it  is  easy  to  suppose  that  religion  was  the  subject  to 
which  it  would  be  directed,  and  although  this  subject  princi- 
pally occupied  my  thoughts — there  was  nothing  that  I  saw 
or  heard  of  to  which  my  attention  was  not  directed — The 
manner  in  which  I  learned  to  read  and  write,  not  only  had 
great  influence  on  my  own  mind,  as  T  acquired  it  with  the  most 
perfect  ease,  so  much  so,  that  I  have  no  recollection  whatever  of 
learning  the  alphabet — but  to  the  astonishment  of  the  family, 
one  day,  when  a  book  was  shewn  me  to  keep  me  from  crying,  I 
began  spelling  the  names  of  different  objects — this  was  a 
source  of  wonder  to  all  m  the  neighborhood,  particularly  the 
blacks — and  this  learning  was  constantly  improved  at  all  op- 
portunities— when  I  got  large  enough  to  go  to  work,  while  en> 
ployed,  I  was  reflecting  on  many  things  that  would  present 
themselves  to  my  imagination,  and  whenever  an  opportunity 
occurred  of  looking  at  a  book,  when  the  school  children, 
were  getting  their  lessons,  I  would  find  many  things  that  the 
fertility  of  my  own  imagination  had  depicted  to  me  before;  all 
my  time,  not  devoted  to  my  master's  service,  was  spent  either  in 
prayer,  or  in  making  experiments  in  casting  different  things 
in  moulds  made  of  earth,  in  attempting  to  make  paper,  gun- 
powder, and  many  other  experiments,  that  although  I  could 
not  perfect,  yet  convinced  me  of  its  practicability  if  I  had  the 
means.*  I  was  not  addicted  to  stealing  in  my  youth,  nor 
have  ever  been — Yet  such  was  the  confidence  of  the  negroes 
iri  the  neighborhood,  even  at  this  early  period  of  my  life,  in  my 
superior  judgment,  that  they  would  often  carry  me  with  them 
when  they  were  going  on  any  roguery,  to  plan  for  them. 
Growing  up  among  them,  with  this  confidence  in  my  supe- 
rior judgment,  and  when  this,  in  their  opinions,  was  perfect- 
ed by  Divine  inspiration,  from  the  circumstances  already  al- 
luded to  in  my  infancy,  and  which  belief  was  ever  afterwards 
zealously  inculcated  by  the  austerity  of  my  life  and  manners, 
which  became  the  subject  of  remark  by  white  and  black. — 
Having  soon  discovered  to  be  great,  I  must  appear  so,  and 

therefore   studiously  avoided  mixing  in  society,  and  wrapped 

. p , — 

*  When  questioned  as  to  the  manner  of  manufacturing  those  dif- 
ferent articles,. he  was  found  well  informed  on  the  subject*. 


Myself  in  mystery,  devoting  my  time  to  fasting  and  prayer— 
By  this  time,  having  arrived  to  man's  estate,  and  hearing  the 
scriptures  commented  on  at  meetings,  I  was  struck  with  that 
particular  passage  whicrrsays  :  "Seek  ye  the  kingdom  of  Hea- 
ven and  all  things  shall  be  added  unto  you."  J  reflected 
much  on  this  passage,  and  prayed  daily  for  light  on  this  sub- 
ject— As  I  was  praying  one  day  at  my  plough,  the  spirit  spoke 
to  me,  saying  "Seek  ye  the  king-dom  of  Heaven  and  all  things 
shall  be  added  unto  you.  Question — what  do  you  mean  by  the 
Spirit.  Ans.  The  Spirit  that  spoke  to  the  prophets  in  former 
days—and  1  was  greatly  astonished,  and  for  two  years  pray- 
ed continually,  whenever  my  duty  would  permit — and  then 
again  I  had  the  same  revelation,  which  fully  confirmed  me  in 
the  impression  that  I  was  ordained  for  some  great  purpose 
in  the  hands  of  the  Almighty.  Several  years  rolled  round,  in 
which  many  events  occurred  to  strengthen  me  in  this  my  be- 
lief. At  this  time  I  reverted  in  my  mind  to  the  remarks  made 
of  me  in  my  childhood,  and  the  things  that  had  been  shewn 
me — and  as  it  had  been  said  of  me  in  my  childhood  by  those 
by  whom  I  had  been  taught  to  pray,  both  white  and  black, 
and  in  whom  I  had  the  greatest  confidence,  that  I  had  too' 
much  sense  to  be  raised,  and  if  I  was*,  I  would  never  be  of 
any  use  to  any  one  as  a  slave.  Now  finding  I  had  arrived  to 
man's  estate,  and  was  a  slave,  and  these  revelations  being, 
made  known  to  me,  I  began  to  direct  my  attention  to  this 
great  object,  to  fulfil  the  purpose  for  which,  by  this  time,  1 
felt  assured  1  was  intended.  Knowing  the  influence  I  had  ob- 
tained over  the  minds  of  my  fellow  servants,  (not  by  the 
means  of  conjuring  and  such  like  tricks- — for  to  them  I  always 
spoke  of  such  thingswith  contempt)  but  by  the  communion  of 
the  Spirit  whose  revelations  1  often  communicated  to  them, 
and  they  believed  and  said  my  wisdom  came  from  God.  I 
now  began  to  prepare  them  for  my  purpose,  by  telling  them 
something  was  about  to  happen  that  would  terminate  in  fulfill- 
ing the  great  promise  that  had  been  made  to  me — About  this 
time  1  was  placed  under  an  overseer,  from  whom  I  ranaway — 
and  after  remaining  in  the  woods  thirty  days,  I  returned,  to 
the  astonishment  of  the  negroes  on  the  plantation,  who 
thought  I  had  made  my  escape  to  some  other  part  of  the 
country,  as  my  father  had  done  before.  But  the  reason  of 
my  return  was,  that  the  Spirit  appeared  to  me  and  said  I  had 
my  wishes  directed  to  the  things  of  this  world,  and  not  to  the 
kingdom  of  Heaven,  and  that  1  should  return  to  the  service  of 
my  earthly  master— "For  he- who  knoweth  his  Master's  will, 
1* 


10 

and  doeth  it  not,  shall  be  beaten  with  many  stripes,  and  thus 
have  I  chastened  you."     And  the  negroes  found  fault,  and 
murmurred  against  me,  saying  that  if  they  had  my  sense  they 
would  not  serve  any  master  in  the  world.     And  about  this 
time  I  had  a  vision— -and  I  saw  white  spirits  and  black  spirits 
engaged  in  battle,  and  the  sun  was  darkened — the  thunder 
rolled  in  the  Heavens,   and    blood  flowed  in  streams — and  I 
heard  a  voice  saying, "Such  is  your  luck,  such  you  are  called  to 
see,  and  let  it  come  rough  or  smooth,  you  must  surely  bare 
it."     I  now  withdrew  myself  as  much  as  my  situation  would 
permit,,  from  the   intercourse  of  my  fellow  servants,  for  the 
avowed  purpose  of  serving  the  Spirit  more  fully — and  it  ap- 
peared to  me,  and  reminded  me  of  the  things  it  had  already 
shown  me,  and  that  it  would  then  reveal  to  me  the  knowledge 
of  the  elements,  the  revolution  of  the  planets,  the  operation 
©f  tides,  and  changes  of  the  seasons.     After  this  revelation  in 
the  year  1825,  and  the  knowledge  of  the  elements  being  made 
known  to  me,  I  sought  more  than  ever  to  obtain  true  holiness 
before  the  great  day  of  judgment  should  appear,   and  then  I 
began  to  receive  the  true  knowledge  of  faith.     And  from  the 
first  steps  of  righteousness  until  the  last,  was  I  made  perfect; 
and  the  Holy  Ghost  was  with  me,  and  said,  "Behold  me  as  I 
stand  in  the  Heavens" — and  1  looked  and  saw  the  forms  of  men 
ra    different  attitudes — and  there  were  lights   in  the  sky  to 
which  the  ^children  of  darkness  gave  other  names  than  what 
they  really  were — for  they  were  the   lights  of  the  Saviour's 
hands,  stretched  forth  from  east  to  w^est,  e\en  as^,  they  were 
extended  on  the  cross  on  Calvary  for  the  redemption  of  sin- 
ners.    And   I  wondered  greatly  at  these  miracles,  and  prayed 
to  be   informed  of  a  certainly  of  the  meaning  thereof — and 
shortly  afterwards,  while  laboring  in  the  field,  I  discovered 
drops  of  blood  on  the  corn  as  though  it  were  dew  from  hea- 
ven— and  I  communicated  it  to  many,  both  white  and  black, 
in  the  neighborhood — and  I  then  found  on  the  leaves  in  the 
woods  hieroglyphic  characters,  and  numbers,  with  the  forms 
®f  men  in  different  attitudes,  portrayed  in  blood,  and  repre- 
senting the  figures   I  had  seen  before  in  the  heavens.     And 
now  the  Holy  Ghost  had  revealed  itself  to  me,  and  made 
plain  the  miracles  it  had  shown  me — For  as  the  blood  of 
Christ  had  been  shed  on  this  earth,  and  had  ascended  to  hea- 
ven for  the  salvation  of  sinners,  and  was  now  returning  to 
earth  again  in  the  form  of  dew — and  as  the  leaves  on  the 
trees  bore  the  impression  of  the  figures  I  had  seen  in  the 
heavens,  it  was  plain  to  me  that  the  Saviour  was  about  to  lay 
down  the  yoke  he  had  borne  for  the  sins  of  men,  and  the 


11 


great  day  of  judgment  was  at  hand.  About  this  time  I  told 
these  things  to  a  white  man,  (Etheldred  T.  Brantley)  on  whom 
it  had  a  wondeiful  effect — and  he  ceased  from  his  wicked- 
ness, and  was  attacked  immediately  with  a  cutaneous  eruption, 
and  blood  ozed  from  the  pores  of  his  skin,  and  after  praying 
and  fasting  nine  days,  he  was  healed,  and  the  Spirit  appear- 
ed to  me  again,  and  said,  as  the  Saviour  had  been  baptised  so 
should  we  be  also — and  when  the  white  people  would  not 
let  us  be  baptised  by  the  church,  we  went  down  into  the  wa- 
ter together,  in  th-e  sight  of  many  who  reviled  us,  and  were 
baptised  by  the  Spirit — After  this  I  rejoiced  greatly,  and  gave 
thanks  to  God.  And  on  the  12th  of  May,  1828,  I  heard  a 
loud  noise  in  the  heavens,  and  the  Spirit  instantly  appeared 
to  me  and  said  the  Serpent  was  loosened,  and  Christ  had  laid 
down  the  yoke  he  had  borne  for  the  sins  of  men,  and  that  I 
should  take  it  on  and  fight  against  the  Serpent,  for  fehe  time 
was  fast  approaching  when  the  first  should  be  last  and  the  last 
should  be  first.  Quest.  Do  you  not  find  yourself  mistaken 
now?  Jlns.  Was  not  Christ  crucified.  And  by  signs  in  the 
heavens  that  it  would  make  known  to  me  when  I  should 
commence  the  great  work — and  until  the  first  sign  appeared, 
I  should  conceal  it  from  the  knowledge  of  men — And  on  the 
appearance  of  the  sign,  (the  eclipse  of  the  sun  last  February) 
I  should  arise  and  prepare  myself,  and  slay  my  enemies  with 
their  own  weapons.  And  immediately  on  the  sign  appearing 
in  the  heavens,  the  seal  was  removed  from  my  lips,  and  I  com- 
municated the  great  work  laid  out  for  me  to  do,  to  four  in 
whom  !  had  the  greatest  confidence,  (Henry,  Hark,  Nelson, 
and  Sam) — ft  was  intended  by  us  to  have  begun  the  work  of 
death  on  the  4th  July  last — Many  were  the  plans  formed  and 
rejected  by  us,  and  it  affected  my  mind  to  such  a  degree,  that 
I  fell  sick,  and  the  time  passed  without  our  coming  to  any 
determination  how  to  commence — Still  forming  new  schemes 
and  rejecting  them,  when  the  sign  appeared  again,  which  de- 
termined me  not  to  wait  longer. 

Since  the  commencement  of  1830,  I  had  h^en  living  with 
Mr.  Joseph  Travis,  who  was  to  me  a  kind  master,  and  placed 
the  greatest  confidence  in  me;  in  fact,  I  had  no  cause  to  com- 
plain of  his  treatment  to  me.  On  Saturday  evening,  the 
SOth  of  August,  it  was  agreed  between  Henry,  Hark  and  my- 
self, to  prepare  a  dinner  the  next  day  for  the  men  we  ex- 
pected, and  then  to  concert  a  plan,  as  we  had  not  yet  deter- 
mined on  any.  Hark,  on  the  following  morning,  brought  a 
pig,  and  Henry  brandy,  and  being  joined  by  Sam,  Nelson, 


\2 

Will  and  Jack,  they  prepared  in  the  woods  a1  dinner,  wher^ 
about  three  o'clock,  1  joined  them. 

Q.  Why  were  you  so  backward  in  joining  them. 
A.  The  same  reason  that  had  caused  me  not  to  mix  with 
them  for  years  before. 

I  saluted  them  on  coming  up,  and  asked  Will  how  came 
he  there,    he  answered,  his  life  was  worth  no   more   than 
others,  and  his  liberty  as  dear  to  him.     I  asked  him  if  he 
thought  to  obtain  it?     He  said  he  would,  or  loose  his  life. 
This  was  enough  to    put    him   in    full   confidence.     Jack, 
I    knew,  was   only    a   tool  in    the   hands   of  Hark,  it  was 
quickly  agreed  we  should  commence  at  home  (Mr.  J.  Travis') 
on  that  night,  and  until  we  had  armed  and  equipped  our- 
selves, and  gathered  sufficient  force,  neither  age  nor  sex  was 
to  be  spared,  (which  was   invariably  adhered  to.)     We  re- 
mained at  the  feast,  until  about  two  hours  in  the  night,  when 
we  went  to  the  house  and  found  Austin;  they  all  went  to  the 
cider  press  and  drank,  except  myself.     On  returning  to  the 
house,  Hark  went  to  the  door  with  an  axe,  for  the  purpose 
of  breaking  it  open,  as  we  knew  we  were  strong  enough  to 
murder  the  family,  if  they  were  awaked  by  the  noise;  but 
reflecting  that  it  might  create  an  alarm  in  the  neighborhood^ 
we  determined  to  enter  the  house  secretly,  and  murder  them 
whilst  sleeping.     Hark  got  a  ladder  and  set   it  against  the 
chimney,  on  which  I  ascended,  and  hoisting  a  window,  enter- 
ed and  came  down  stairs,  unbarred  the  door,  and   removed 
the  guns  from  their  places.   It  was  then  observed  that  I  must 
spill   the  first  blood.     On   which,  armed  with  a  hatchet,  and 
accompanied  by  Will,  I  entered  my  master's  chamber,  it  be- 
ing dark,  I  could  not  give  a  death  blow,  the  hatchet  glanced 
from  his  head,  he  sprang  from  the  bed  and  called  his  wife, 
it  was  his  last  word,  Will  laid  him  dead,  with  a  blow  of  his 
axe,  and  Mrs.  Travis  shared  the  same  fate,  as  she  lay  in  bed. 
The  murder  of  this  family,  five  in  number,  was  the  work  of  a 
moment,  not  one  of  them  awoke;  there  was  a  little  infant 
sleeping  in  a  qradle,  that  was  forgotten,  until  we  had  left  the 
house  and  gone  some  distance,  when  Henry  and  Will  return- 
ed and  killed  it;  we  got  here,  four  guns  that  would  shootr 
and  several  old  muskets,  with  a  pound  or  two  of  powder. 
We  remained  some  time  at  the  barn,  where  we  paraded;  I 
formed  them  in  a  line  as  soldiers,  and  after  carrying  them 
through   all  the  manoeuvres  I  was  master  of,  marched  them 
off  to  Mr.  Salathul  Francis',,  about  six  hundred  yards  distant. 
Sam  and  Will  went  to  the  door  and  knocked.     Mr.  Francis- 
asked  who«  was  there,.  Sam  replied  it  was  him,  and  he  had  a 


13 

j       : 

letter  for  him,  on  which  he  got  up  and  came  to  the  door;" 
thev  immediately  seized  him,  and  dragging  him  out  a  little 
from  the  door,  he  was  dispatched  by  repeated  blows  on  the 
head;  there  was  no  other  white  person  in  the  family.  We 
started  from  there  for  Mrs.  Reese's,  maintaining  the  most 
perfect  silence  on  our  march,  where  finding  the  door  unlock- 
ed, we  entered,  and  murdered  Mrs.  Reese  in  her  bed,  while 
sleeping:  her  son  awoke,  but  it  was  only  to  sleep  the  sleep  of 
death,  he  h-ad  only  time  to  say  Who  is  that,  and  he  was  no 
more.  From  Mrs.  Reese's  we  went  to  Mrs.  Turner's,  a  mile 
distant,  which  we  reached  about  sunrise,  on  Monday  morn~ 
ing.  Henry,  Austin,  and  Sam,  went  to  the  still,  where,  find- 
ing Mr.  Peebles,  Austin  shot  hi$Kf|  and  the  rest  of  us  went  to 
the  house;  as  we  approached,  the  family  discovered  us,  and 
shut  the  door.  Vain  hope !  Will,  with  one  stroke  of  his  axe, 
opened  it,  and  we  entered  and  found  Mrs.  Turner  and  Mrs. 
Newsome  in  the  middle  of  a  room,  almost  frightened  to 
death.  Will  immediately  killed  Mrs.  Turner,  with  one  blow 
of  his  axe.  I  took  Mrs.  Newsom'e  by  the  hand,  and  with 
the  sword  I  had  when  I  was  apprehended,  I  struck  her 
several  blows  over  the  head,  but  not  being  able  to  kill  her, 
as  the  sword  was  dull.  Will  turning  around  and  discovering 
it,  despatched  her  also.  A  general  destruction  of  property 
and  search  for  money  and  ammunition,  always  succeeded 
the  murders.  By  this  time  n>y  company  amounted  to  fifteen, 
and  nine  men  mounted,  who  started  for  Mrs.  Whitehead's, 
(the  other  six  were  to  go  through  a  by  way  to  Mr.  Bryant's, 
and  rejoin  us  at  Mrs.  Whitehead's,)  as  we  approached  the 
house  we  discovered  Mr.  Richard  Whitehead  standing  in  the 
cotton  patch,  near  the  lane  fence ;  we  called  him  over  into 
the  lane,  and  Will,  the  executioner,  was  near  at  hand,  with 
his  fatal  axe,  to  send  him  to  an*  untimely  grave.  As  we 
pushed  on  to  the  house,  I  discovered  someone  run  round  the 
garden,  and  thinking  it  was  some  of  the  white  family,  I  pur- 
sued them,  but  finding  it  was  a  servant  girl  belonging  to  the 
house,  I  returned  to  commence  the  work  of  death,  but  they 
whom  I  left,  had  not  been  idle;  all  the  family  were  already 
murdered,  but  Mrs.  Whitehead  and  her  daughter  Margaret. 
As  I  came  round  to  the  door  I  saw  Will  pulling?jyir&.  White- 
head out  of  the  house,  and  at  the  step  he  nearly  severed  her 
head  from  her  b®dy,  with  his  broad  axe.  Miss  Margaret, 
when  I'  discovered  her,  had  concealed  herself  in  the  corner, 
formed  by  the  projection  of  the  cellar  eap  from  the  house; 
on  my  approach;  she  fledybut  was  soon  overtaken,  and  after 

f 


14 

repeated  blows  with  a  sword,  I  killed  her  by  a  blow  on  the 
head,  with  a  fence  rail.  By  this  time,  the  six  who  had  gone 
by  Mr.  Bryant's,  rejoined  us,  and  informed  me  they  had  done 
the  work  of  death  assigned  them.  We  again  divided,  part 
going  to  Mr.  Richard  Porter's,  and  from  thence  to  Nathaniel 
Francis',  the  others  to  Mr.  Howell  Harris',  and  Mr.  T. 
Doyles.  On  my  reaching  Mr.  Porter's,  he  had  escaped  with 
his  family.  I  understood  there,  that  the  alarm  had  already 
spread,  and  I  immediately  returned  to  bring  up  those  sent  to 
Mr.  Doyles,  and  Mr.  Howell  Harris1;  the  party  I  left  going 
on  to  Mr.  Francis',  having  told  them  I  would  join  them  in 
that  neighborhood.  I  met  these  sent  to  Mr.  Doyles'  and  Mr. 
Harris'  returning,  having  met  Mr.  Doyle  on  the  road  and 
killed  him;  and  learning  from  some  who  joined  them,  that 
Mr.  Harris  was  from  home,  I  immediately  pursued  the  course 
taken  by  the  party  gone  on  before;  but  knowing  they  would 
complete  the  work  of  death  and  pillage,  at  Mr.  Francis' 
before  I  could  get  there,  I  went  to  Mr.  Peter  Edwards',  ex- 
pecting to  find  them  there,  but  they  had  been  here  also.  I 
then  went  to  Mr.  John  T.  Barrow's,  they  had  been  here  and 
murdered  him.  I  pursued  on  their  track  to  Capt.  Newit 
Harris',  where  I  found  the  greater  part  mounted,  and  ready 
to  start;  the  men  now  amounting  to  about  forty,  shouted  and 
hurraed  as  1  rode  up,  some  were  in  the  yard,  loading  their 
guns,  others  drinking*  They  said  Captain  Harris  and  his 
family  had  escaped,  the  property  in  the  house  they  destroy- 
ed, robbing  him  of  money  and  other  valuables.  I  ordered 
them  to  mount  and  march  instantly,  this  was  about  nine  or 
ten  o'clock,  Monday  morning.  I  proceeded  to  Mr.  Levi 
Waller's,  two  or  three  miles  distant.  I  took  my  station  in 
the  rear,  and  as  it  'twas  my  object  to  carry  terror  and  devas- 
tation wherever  we  went,  I  placed  fifteen  or  twenty  of  the 
best  armed  and  most  to  be  relied  on,  in  front,  who  generally 
approached  the  houses  as  fast  as  their  horses  could  run  ;  this 
was  for  two  purposes,  to  prevent  their  escape  and  strike  ter- 
ror to  the  inhabitants — on  this  account  1  never  got  to  the 
houses,  after  leaving  Mrs.  Whitehead's,  until  the  murders  were 
committed,  except  in  one  case.  I  sometimes  got  in  sight  in 
time  to  see  the  work  of  death  completed,  viewed  the  mang- 
led bodies  as  they  lay,  in  silent  satisfaction,  and  immediately 
started  in  quest  of  other  victims — Having  murdered  Mrs. 
Waller  and  ten  children,  we  started  for  Mr.  William  Wil- 
iiams'-r-having  killed  him  and  two  little  boys  that  were  there; 
while  engaged  in  this,  Mrs.  Williams  fled  arid  got  some  dis- 


I 


15 

tance  from  the  house,  but  she  was  pursued,  overtaken,  and 
compelled  to  get  up  behind  one  of  the  company,  who  brought 
.her  back,  and  after  showing  her  the  mangled  body  of  her  life- 
less husband,  she  was  toid  to  get  down  and  lay  by  his  side, 
where  she  was  shot  dead.  I  then  started  for  Mr.  Jacob  Wil- 
liams, where  the  family  were  murdered — Here  we  found  a 
young  man  named  Drury,  who  had  come  on  business  with 
Mr.  YVilliams — he  was  pursued,  overtaken  and  shot.  Mrs. 
Vaughan  was  the  next  place  we  visited — and  after  murder- 
ing the  family  here,  I  determined  on  starting  for  Jerusalem — 
Our  number  amounted  now  to  fifty  or  sixty,  all  mounted  and 
armed  with  guns,  axes,  swords  and  clubs — On  reaching  Mr. 
James  W.  Parkers7  gate,  immediately  on  the  road  leading  to 
Jerusalem,  and  about  three  miles  distant,  it  was  proposed  to 
me  to  call  there,  but  I  objected,  as  I  knew  he  was  gone  to 
Jerusalem,  and  my  object  was  to  reach  there  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible; but  some  of  the  men  having  relations  at  Mr.  Parker's  it 
was  agreed  that  they  might  call  and  get  his  people.  I  remain- 
ed at  the  gate  on  the  road,  with  seven  or  eight;  the  others  going 
across  the  field  to  the  house,  about  half  a  mile  off.  After 
waiting  some. time  for  them,  I  became  impatient,  and  started 
to  the  house  for  them,  and  on  our  return  we  were  met  by  a 
party  of  white  men,  who  had  pursued  our  blood-stained  track, 
and  who  had  fired  on  those  at  the  gate,  and  dispersed  them, 
which  I  new  nothing  of,  not  having  been  at  that  time  rejoined 
by  any  of  them — Immediately  on  discovering  the  whites,  I 
ordered  my  men  to  halt  an4  form,  as  they  appeared  to  be 
alarmed — The  white  men,  eighteen  in  number,  approached 
us  in  about  one  hundred  yards,  when  one  of  them  fired, 
(this  was  against  the  positive  orders  of  Captain  Alex- 
ander P.  Peete,  who  commanded,  and  who  had  directed 
the  men  to  reserve  their  fire  until  within  thirty  paces) 
And  I  discovered  about  half  of  tiiem  retreating,  I  then  ordered 
my  men  to  fire  and  rush  on  them;  the  few  remaining  stood 
their  ground- until  we  approached  within  fifty  yards,  when 
they  fired  and  retreated.  We  pursued  and  overtook  some  of 
them  who  we  thought  we  left  dead;  (they  were  not  killed)  af- 
ter pursuing  them  about  two  hundred  yards,  and  rising  a  little 
hill,  I  discovered  they  were  met  by  another  party*,  and  had 
haulted,  and  were  re-loading  their  guns,  (this  was  a  small 
party  from  Jerusalem  who  knew  the  negroes  were  in  the  field, 
and  had  just  tied  their  horses  to  await  their  return  to  the 
road,  knowing  that  Mt.  Parker  aad  family  were  in  Jerusalem, 
but  knew  nothing  of  the  party  that  had  gone  in  with  Captain 


16 

Peete;  on  hearing  the  firing  they  immediately  rushed  to  the 
spot  and  arrived  just  in  time  to  arrest  the  progress  of  these 
barbarous  villians,  and  save  the  lives  of  their  friends  and  fel- 
low citizens.)   Thinking  that  those  who  retreated  first,  and  the 
party  who  fired  on  us  at  fifty  or  sixty  yards   distant,  had  all 
only  fallen  back  to  meet  others  with  amunition.      As  i  saw 
them  re-loading  their  guns,  and  more  coming  up  than  I  saw  at 
first,  and  several  of  my  bravest  men  being  wounded,  the  oth- 
ers became  panick  struck  and  squandered  over  the  field;  the 
white  men  pursued  and  fired  on  us  several  times.     Hark  had 
his  horse  shot  under  him,  and  I  caught  another  for  him  as  it 
was  running  by  me;  fivq  or  six  of  my  men  were  wounded,  but 
none  left  on  the  field;  finding  myself  defeated  here  I  instant- 
ly determined  to  go  through  a   private  way,  and   cross  the 
Kottoway  river  at  the  Cypress  Bridge,  three  miles  below  Je- 
rusalem, and  attack  that  place  in  the  rear,  as  I  expected  they 
would  look  for  me  on  the  other  road,  and  I  had  a  great  de- 
sire to  get  there  to  procure  arms  and  amunition.    After  going 
a  short  distance  in  this  private  way,  accompanied  by  about 
twenty  men,  1  overtook  two  or  three  who  told  me  the  others 
were  dispersed  in  every  direction.   After  tyring  in  vain  to  col- 
lect a  sufficient  force  to  proceed   to  Jerusalem,  I  determined 
to  return,  as  I  was  sure  they  would  make  back  to  their  old 
neighborhood,  where  they  would  rejoin  me,  make  new  recruits, 
and  come   down  again.     On  my  way  back,  I  called  at  Mrs. 
Thomas's,  Mrs.  Spencer's,  and  several  other  places,  the  white 
families  having  fled,  we  found  ho  more  victims  to  gratify  our 
thirst  for  blood,  we  stopped  at  Majr.  Ridley's  quarter  for  the 
night,  and  being  joined  by  four  of  his  men,  with  the  recruits 
made  since  my  defeat,  we  mustered  now  about  forty  strong. 
After  placing  out  sentinels,  1  laid  down  to  sleep,  but  was  quick* 
If  roused  by  a  great  racket;  starting  up,  I  found  some  mount- 
ed, and  .others  in  great  confusion;  one  of  the  sentinels  having 
given  the  alarm  that  we  were  about  to  be  attacked,  I  ordered 
aome  to  ride  round   and   reconnoitre,  and  on  their  return  the 
others  being  more  alarmed,  not  knowing»who  they  were,  fled 
in  different  ways,  so  that  1  was  reduced  to  about  twenty  again; 
with  this  I  determined  to  attempt  to  recruit,  and  proceed  on 
to  rally  in  the  neighborhood,  I  had  left.    Br.  Blunt's  was  the 
nearest  house,  which  we  reached  just  before  day;  on  riding  up 
the  yard,  Hark  fired  a  gun.  We  expected  Dr.  Blunt  and  his  fa- 
mily were  at  Maj.  Ridley's,  as  1  knew  there  was  a  company  of 
men  there;  the  gun  was  fired  to  ascertain  if  any  of  the  family 
were  at  home;  we  were  immediately  fired-upon  and  retreatedr 


17 

leaving  several  of  my  men.  I  do  not  know  what  became  of 
them,  as  I  never  saw  them  afterwards.  Pursuing  our  course 
back  and  coming  in  sight  of  Captain  Harris7,  where  we  had 
been  the  day  before,  we  discovered  a  party  of  white  men  at 
the  house,  on  which  all  deserted  me  but  two,  (Jacob  and 
Nat,)  we  concealed  ourselves  in  the  woods  until  near  night, 
when  I  sent  them  in  search  of  Henry,  Sam,  Nelson,  and  Hark, 
and  directed  them  to  rally  all  they  could,  at  the  place  we  had 
had  our  dinner  the  Sunday  before,  where  they  would  find  me, 
and  I  accordingly  returned  there  as  soon  as  it  was  dark  and 
remained  until  Wednesday  evening,  when  discovering  white 
men  riding  around  the  place  as  though  they  were  looking  for 
some  one,  and  none  of  my  men  joining  me,  I  concluded  Ja- 
cob and  Nat  had  been  taken,  and  compelled  to  betray  me. 
On  this  I  gave  up  all  hope  for  the  present;  and  on  Thursday 
night  after  having  supplied  myself  with  provisions  from  Mr. 
Travis's,  I  scratched  a  hole  under  a  pile  of  fence  rails  in  a 
field,  where  I  concealed  myself  for  six  weeks,  never  leaving 
my  hiding  place  but  for  a  few  minutes  in  the  dead  of  night 
to  get  water  which  was  very  near;  thinking  by  this  time  1 
could  venture  ©ut,  I  began  to  go  about  in  the  night  and 
eaves  drop  the  houses  in  the  neighborhood;  pursuing  this 
course  for  about  a  fortnight  and  gathering  little  or  no  intelli- 
gence, afraid  of  speaking  to  any  human  being,  and  returning 
every  morning  to  my  cave  before  the  dawn  of  day.  I  know 
not  how  long  1  might  have  led  this  life,  if  accident  had  not 
betrayed  me,  a  d6g  in  the  neighborhood  passing  by  my  hid- 
ing place  one  night  while  I  was  out,  was  attracted  by  some 
meat  I  had  in  my  cave,  and  crawled  in  and  stole  it,  and  was 
coming  out  just  as  I  returned.  A  few  nights  after,  two.negroes 
having  started  to  go  hunting  with  the  same  dog,  and  passed 
that  way,  the  dog  came  again  to  the  place,  and  having  just 
gone  out  to  walk  about,  discovered  rne  and  barked,  on  which 
thinking  myself  discovered,  1  spoke  to  them  to  beg  conceal- 
ment. On  making  myself  known  they  fled  from  me.  Know- 
ing then  they  would  betray  me,  I  immediately  left  my  hiding 
place,  and  was  pursued  almost  incessantly  until  I  was  taken 
a  fortnight  afterwards  by  Mr.  Benjamin  Phipps,  in  a  little  hole 
I  had  dug  out  with  my  sword,  for  the  purpose  of  conceal- 
ment, under  the  top  of  a  fallen  tree.  On  Mr.  Phipps'  discover- 
ing the  place  of  my  concealment,  he  cocked  his  gun  and 
aimed  at  me.  I  requested  him  not  to  shoot  and  I  would  give 
up,  upon  which  he  demanded  my  sword.  I  delivered  it  to 
him,  and  he  brought  me  to  prison.    During  the  time  I  was 


18 

pursued,  I  had  many  hair  breadth  escapes,  which  your  time 
will  not  permit  you  to  relate.  I  am  here  loaded  with  chains, 
and  willing  to  suffer  the  fate  that  awaits  me. 

1  here  proceeded  to  make  some  inquiries  of  him,  after  assur- 
ing him  of  the  certain  death  that  awaited  him,  and  that  conceal- 
ment would  only  bring  destruction  on  the  innocent  as  well  as 
guilty,  of  his  own  color,  if  he  knew  of  any  extensive  or  cen- 
certed  plan.  His  answer  was,  1  do  not.  When  I  questioned 
him  as  to  the  insurrection  in  North  Carolina  happening  about 
the  same  time,  he  denied  any  knowledge  of  it;  and  when  1 
looked  him  in  the  face  as  though  I  would  search  his  inmost 
thoughts,  he  replied,  "  I  see  sir,  you  doubt  my  word:  but  can 
you  not  think  the  same  ideas,  and  strange  appearances  about 
this  time  in  the  heaven's  might  prompt  others,  as  well  as  my- 
self, to  this  undertaking."  I  now  had  much  conversation 
with  and  asked  him  many  questions,  having  forborne  to  do  so 
previously,  except  in  the  cases  noted  in  parenthesis;  but  dur- 
ing his  statement,  I  had,  unnoticed  by  him,  taken  notes  as  to 
some  particular  circumstances,  and  having  the  advantage  of 
his  statement  before  me  in  writing,  on  the  evening  of  the 
third  day  that  I  had  been  with  him,  I  began  a  cross  examina- 
tion, and  found  his  statement  corroborated  by  every  circum- 
stance coming  within  my  own  knowledge  or  the  confessions 
of  others  whom  had  been  either  killed  or  executed,  and  whom 
he  had  not  seen  nor  had  any  kfiowledge  since  22d  of  August 
last,  he  expressed  himself  fully  satisfied  as  to  the  impracti- 
cability of  his  attempt.  It  has  been  said  he  was  ignorant  and 
cowardly,  and  that  his  object  was  to  murder  and  rob  for  the 
purpose  of  obtaining  money  to  make  his  escape.  It  is  noto- 
rious, that  he  was  never  known  to  have  a  dollar  in  his  life; 
to  swear  an  oath,  or  drink  a  drop  of  spirits.  As  to  his  igno- 
rance, he  certainly  never  had  the  advantages  of  education, 
but  he  can  read  and  write,  (it  was  taught  him  by  his  pa- 
rents,) and  for.  natural  intelligence  and  quickness  of  appre- 
hension, is  surpassed  by  few  men  I  have  ever  seen.  As  to 
his  being  a  coward,  his  reason  as  given  for  not  resisting  Mr. 
Phipps,  shews  the  decision  of  his  character.  When  he  saw 
Mr.  Phipps  present  his  gun,  he  said  he  knew  it  was  impossi- 
ble for  him  to  escape  as  the  woods  were  full  of  men;  he 
therefore  thought  it  was  better  to  surrender,  and  trust  to  for- 
tune for  his  escape.  He  is  a  complete  fanatic,  or  plays  his 
part  most  admirably.  On  other  subjects  he  possesses  an  un-  . 
common  share  of  intelligence,  with  a  mind  capable  of  attain- 
ing any  thing;  but  warped  and  perverted  by  the  influence  of 


19 

early  impressions.  He  is  below  the  ordinary  stature,  though 
strong  and  active,  having  the  true  negro  face,  every  feature  of 
which  is  strongly  marked.  I  shall  not  attempt  to  describe  the 
effect  of  his  narrative,  as  told  and  commented  on  by  himself, 
in  the  condemned  hole  of  the  prison.  The  calm,  deliberate 
composure  with  which  he  spoke  of  his  late  deeds  and  inten- 
tions, the  expression  of  his  fiend-iike  face  when  excited  by 
enthusiasm,  still  bearing  the  stains  of  the  blood  of  helpless 
innocence  about  him;  clothed  with  rags  and  covered  with 
chains;  yet  daring  to  raise  his  manacled  hands  to  heaven,  with 
a  spirit  soaring  above  the  attributes  of  man;  I  looked  on 
him  and  my  blood  curdled  in  my  veins. 

J  will  not  shock  the  feelings  of  humanity,  nor  wound 
afresh  the  bosoms  of  the  disconsolate  sufferers  in  this  unpar- 
alleled and  inhuman  massacre,  by  detailing  the  deeds  of  their 
fiend-like  barbarity.  There  were  two  or  three  who  were  in 
the  power  of  these  wretches,  had  they  known  it,  and  who  es- 
caped in  the  most  providential  manner.  There  were  two 
whom  they  thought  they  left  dead  on  the  field  at  Mr  Parker's, 
but  who  were  only  stunnecf  by  the  blows  of  their  guns,  as 
they  did  not  take  time  to  re-load  when  they  charged  on  them. 
The  escape  of  a  little  girl  who  went  to  school  at  Mr.  Wal- 
ler's, and  where  the  children  were  collecting  for  that  purpose, 
excited  general  sympathy.  As  their  teacher  had  not  arrived, 
they  were  at  play  in  the  yard,  and  seeing  the  negroes  ap- 
proach, she  ran  up  on  a  dirt  chimney,  (such  as  are  common 
to  log  houses,)  and  remained  there  unnoticed  during  the  mas- 
sacre of  the  eleven  that  were  killed  at  this-  place.  She  re- 
mained on  her  hiding  place  till  just  before  the  arrival  of  a 
party,  who  were  in  pursuit  of  the  murderers,  when  she  came 
down  and  fled  to  a  swamp,  where,  a  mere  child  as  she  was, 
with  the  horrors  of  the  late  scene  before  her,  she  lay  con- 
cealed until  the  next  day,  when  seeing  a  party  go  up  to  the 
house,  she  came  up,  and  on  being  asked  how  she  escaped,  re- 
plied with  the  utmost  simplicity,  « The  Lord  helped  her." 
She  was  taken  up  behind  a  gentleman  of  the  party,  and  re- 
turned to  the  arms  of  her  weeping  mother  Miss  Whitehead 
concealed  herself  between  the  bed  and  the  mat  that  support- 
ed it,  while  they  murdered  her  sister  in  the  same  room,  with- 
out discovering  her.  'She  was  afterwards  carried  off,  and 
concealed  for  protection  by  a  slave  of  the  family,  who  gave 
evidence  against  several  of  them  on  their  trial.  Mrs.  Nathan- 
iel Francis,  while  concealed  in  a  closet  heard  their  blows, 
and  the  shrieks  of  the  victims  of  these  ruthless  savages;  they 


20 

then  entered  the  closet  where  she  was  concealed,  and  went 
out  without  discovering  her.  While  in  this  hiding  place,  she 
heard  two  of  her  women  in  a  quarrel  about  the  division  of 
her  clothes.  Mr.  John  T.  Baron,  discovering  them  approach- 
ing his  house,  told  his  wife  to  make  her  escape,  and  scorning 
to  fly,  fell  fighting  on  his  own  threshold.  After  firing  his  rifle, 
he  discharged  his  gun  at  them,  and  then  broke  it  over  the 
villain  who  first  approached  him,  but  he  was  overpowered, 
and  slain.  His  bravery,  however,  saved  from  the  hands  of 
these  monsters,  his  lovely  and  amiable  wife,  who  will  long 
lament  a  husband  so  deserving  of  her  love.  As  directed  by 
him,  she  attempted  to  escape  through  the  garden,  when  she 
was  caught  and  held  by  one  of  her  servant  girls,  but  another 
coming  to  her  rescue,  she  fled  to  the  woods,  and  concealed 
herself.  Few  indeed,  were  those  who  escaped  their  work  of 
death.  But  fortunate  for  society,  the  hand  of  retributive  jus- 
tice has  overtaken  them  ;  and  not  one  that  was  known  to  be 
concerned   has  escaped. 


I 


The  Commonwealth,  } 

vs.  >      Charged  with  making  insurrection, 

Nat   Turner.        y  and  plotting  to  take  away  the  lives  of 

divers  free  white  persons,  &c.  on   the  22d  of  August,  1881. 

The  court  composed  of ,  having  met  for  the  trial  of 

Nat  Turner,  the  prisoner  was  brought  in  and  arraigned,  and 
upon  his  arraignment  pleaded  Not  guilty;  saying  to  his  coun- 
sel, that  he  did  not  feel  so. 

On  the  part  of  the  Commonwealth,  Levi  Waller  was  intro- 
duced, who  being  sworn,  deposed  as  follows:  (agreeably  to 
NaPs  own  Confession.)  Col.  Trezvant*  was  then  introduced, 
who  being  sworn,  narrated  Nat's  'Confession  to  him,  as  fol- 
lows :  (his  Confession  as  given  to  Mr.  Gray.)  The  prisoner 
introduced  no  evidence,  and  the  case  was  submitted  without 
argument  to  the  court,  who  having  found  him  guilty,  Jeremi- 
ah  Cobb,  Esq.  Chairman,  pronounced  the  sentence  of  the 
court,  in  the  following  words:  "Nat  Turner!  Stand  up. 
Have  you  any  thing  to  say  why  sentence  of  death  should  not 
be  pronounced  against  you  ? 

Jlns.  I  have  not.  I  have  made  a  full  confession  to  Mr. 
Gray,  and  I  have  nothing  more  to  say. 

*The  committing  Magistrate- 


21 

Attend  then  to  the  sentence  of  the  Court.  You  have  been  ar- 
raigned and  tried  before  this  court,  and  convicted  of  one  of  the 
highest  crimes  in  our  criminal  code.  You  have  been  convicted 
of  plotting  in  cold  blood,  the  indiscriminate  destruction  of 
men,  of  helpless  women,  and  of  infant  children.     The  evi- 
dence before  us  leaves  not  a  shadow  of  doubt,  but  that  your 
ihands  were  often  imbrued  in  the  blood  of  the  innocent ;  and 
your  own  confession  tells  us  ihat  they  were  stained  with  the 
blood  of  a  master;  in  your  own  language,  "too   indulgent." 
Could   I  stop  here,  your  crime   would  be  sufficiently  aggra- 
vated.    But  the  original  contriver  of  a  plan,  deep  and  deadly, 
one  that  never  can  be  effected,  you  managed  so  far  to  put  it 
into  execution,  as  to  deprive  irs  of  many  of  our  most  valuable 
citizens;  and  this  was  done  when  l,hey  were  asleep,  and  de- 
fenceless; under  circumstances  shocking  to  humanity.     And 
while  upon  this  part  of  the  subject,  I  cannot  but  call  your  at- 
tention to  the  poor  misguided  wretches  who  have  gone  be- 
fore you.     They  are  not  few  in  number — they  were  your  bo- 
som associates;  and  the  blood  of  all  cries  aloud,  and  calls 
upon   you,  as  the  author  of  their  misfortune.     Yes!    You 
■forced  them    unprepared,  from    Time   to   Eternity.     Borne 
down  by  this  load  of  guilt,  your*  only  justification  is,  that 
jyou  were  led  away  by  fanaticism.     If  this  be  true,  from  my 
•soul  I  pity  you;  and  while  you  have  my  sympathies,  I  am, ne- 
vertheless called  upon  to  pass  the  sentence  of  the  court.  The 
;time  between  this  and  your  execution,  will  necessarily  be 
very  short;  and  your  only  hope  must  be  in  another  world. 
The  judgment  of  the  court  is,  that  you  be  taken  hence  to  the 
j  jail  from  whence  you  came,  thence  to  the  place  of  execution, 
and  on  Friday  next,  between  the  hours  of  10  A.  M.  and  2  P. 
!M.  be  hung  by  the  neck  until  you  are  dead!  dead!  dead 
;  and  may  the  Lord  have  mercy  upon  your  soul. 


* 


22 


A  list  of  persons  murdered  in  the  Insurrection,  on  the  21st 
and  ZM  of  August,  1831. 

Joseph  Travers  and  wife  and  three  children,  Mrs.  Eliza- 
beth Turner,  Hartwell  Prebles,  Sarah  Newsome,  Mrs.  P.  Reese 
and  son  William,  Trajan  Doyle,  Henry  Bryant  and  wife  and 
child,  and  wife's  mother,  Mrs.  Catharine  Whitehead,  son 
Richard  and  four  daughters  and  grand-child,  Salathiel  Fran- 
cis, Nathaniel  Francis'  overseer  and  two  children,  John  T. 
Barrow,  George  Vaughan,  Mrs.  Levi  Waller  and  ten  children, 
William  Williams,  wife  and  two  boys,  Mrs.  Caswell  Worrell 
and  child,  Mrs.  Rebecca  Vaughan,  Ann  Eliza  Vaughan,  and 
son  Arthur,  Mrs.  John  K.  Williams  and  child,  Mrs.  Jacob 
Williams  and  three  children,  and  Edwin  Drury — amounting 
to  fifty-five. 


A  List  of  Negroes  brought  before  the  Court  of  Southamp- 
ton, with  their  owners*  names,  and  sentence. 

Daniel,       -    -    -    -  Richard  Porter,  Convicted. 

Moses,           -    -    -  J  T.  Barrow,  Do. 

Tom,     ....     -  Ca-ty  Whitehead,  Discharged. 

Jack  and  Andrew,  Caty  Whitehead,  Con.  and  transported. 

Jacob,       _--     -  Geo.  H.  Charlton,  Disch'd  without  trial. 

Isaac,    -    -    -    :  i  -            Ditto,  Convi.  and  transported. 

Jack,   -----  Everett  Bryant,  Discharged. 

Nathan,      -    -    -     -  Benj.  Blunt's  estate,  Convicted. 

Nathan,  Tom,  and  Da-  [ted. 

yy,  (boys,)      -    -  Nathaniel  Francis,  Convicted  and  transpor- 

Davy, Elizabeth  Turner,  Convicted. 

Curtis,      -    -    -    -  Thomas  Ridley,  Do  . 

Stephen,     -    -    -     -                Do.  Do. 

Hardy  and  Isham,  Benjamin  Edwards,  Convicted  and  transp'd. 

Sam,     -        -    -     -  Nathaniel  Francis,  Convicted. 

Hark,    -    -     -    -    -  Joseph  Travis'  estate.  Do. 

Moses,  (a  boy,)                      Do.  Do.  and  transported. 

Davy,       -    -     -    -  Levi  Waller,  Convicted. 

Nelson,       -     -     -    -  Jacob  Williams,  Do. 

Nat,    -----  Ed  m'd  Turner's  estate.  Do. 

Jack,     -----  Wm.  Reese's  estate,  Do. 

Dred,       -    -     -     -  Nathaniel  Francis,  Do. 

Arnold,  Artist,  (free,) Discharged. 

Sam,      -----  J,  W.  Parker,  Acquitted. 

Ferry  and  Archer,  J.W.Parker,  Disch'd  without  trial. 

Jim,     -----  William  Vaughan,  Acquitted. 

Bob,       -----  Temperance  Parker,  Do. 

Davy,       -    -     -     -  Joseph  Parker, 

Daniel,       -    -     -    -  Solomon  D.  Parker,  Disch'd  without  trial. 

Thomas  Haithcock,    (free,)  -  Sent  on  for  further  trial. 


23 

Joe,     -     -     -    -    -  John  C.  Turner, 

Lucy,    ....    -  John  T.  Barrow, 

Matt, Thomas  Ridley, 

Jim,      -----  Richard  Porter, 

Exum  Artes,  (free,)  -        -        -        - 

Joe,     -----  Richard  P.  Briggs. 
Bury  Newsome,  (free,)  - 

Stephen,    *    -    -     -  James  Bell, 

Jim  and  Isaac,   -     -  Samuel  Champion, 

Preston,      -    -     -    -  Hannah  Williamson, 

Frank,      -    -    -     -  Solomon  D.  Parker, 

~^ack  and  Shadrach,  Nathaniel  Simmons, 

j  ielson,      -    -    -     -  «Benj.  Bmnt's  estate, 

ga  m,    -    -    -    -    -  Peter  Edwards, 

^'•mer,      -     -    -     -  Arthur*G.  Reese, 

Isha  ™.  Turner,  (free,) 

Nat  Turatvf  fj  ■    "    -  Putnam  Moore,  dee'd, 


Convicted. 

Do. 
Acquitted. 

Do. 
Sent  on  or  further  trial. 
Disch'd  without  trial. 
Sent  on  for  further  trial. 
Acquitted. 

Convicted  and  trans'd. 
Acquitted. 

Convi'd  and  transp'd. 
Acquitted. 

Do. 
Convicted. 
Acquitted. 

Sent  on  for  further  trial 
Convicted. 


\ 


«r 


1 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 


THE  COLLECTION  OF 
NORTH  CAROLINIANA 


T<3S* 


